Filter Issues.

[poconojoe]

Size of manifold pipe and how many branches depends on the size of the bog. You may only need one straight pipe if your bog is small.

My bog is about 14 feet by 6 feet and I branched out with two 10 foot long pipes. I used a wye fitting instead of a Tee to branch off. I figured there would be less resistance with a wye.

I used 2 inch pvc pipe and cut the slits with a sawzall (reciprocating saw). My slits are 1/3 through the pipes and 1-1/2 inches apart. If I had to do it again, I'd use something with a little thicker blade.

 

[mrsclem]

mrsclem, As a Brit I have to confess that I don't know what play, tee boxes are.

Planter boxes- laptop can't spell!

 

[GBBUDD]

ahh

 

[mrsclem]

sick of this laptop changing what I want to say. Going to attempt to upgrade from Windows 7. If It doesn't work, new laptop for Christmas

 

[Brian Montague]

There's no right or wrong answer just answers on which might work a little better then others. The slits are the option i like best but i prefer a solid 1/8" cut 6 inches apart . with the slits facing downward. i would go as far as slipping a little rubber under these slits so it a piece of gravel is vibrated by the current it's not working on the liner but on a piece of scrap. The other way i'd look at it is the force of the water will once the bog begins to get used the pressure will build and change in the pipe so i believe the slits don't need to vary too much i could be wrong im not an engineer but as the debris breaks down in the bog the pressures will change and work on the next least are or resistance.

Many thanks, mrsclem, I'm gradually understanding the principle as I get more info. All the best, Brian

 

[Brian Montague]

There's no right or wrong answer just answers on which might work a little better then others. The slits are the option i like best but i prefer a solid 1/8" cut 6 inches apart . with the slits facing downward. i would go as far as slipping a little rubber under these slits so it a piece of gravel is vibrated by the current it's not working on the liner but on a piece of scrap. The other way i'd look at it is the force of the water will once the bog begins to get used the pressure will build and change in the pipe so i believe the slits don't need to vary too much i could be wrong im not an engineer but as the debris breaks down in the bog the pressures will change and work on the next least are or resistance.

Slits sound best to me too, many thanks, Brian

 

[Brian Montague]

There's no right or wrong answer just answers on which might work a little better then others. The slits are the option i like best but i prefer a solid 1/8" cut 6 inches apart . with the slits facing downward. i would go as far as slipping a little rubber under these slits so it a piece of gravel is vibrated by the current it's not working on the liner but on a piece of scrap. The other way i'd look at it is the force of the water will once the bog begins to get used the pressure will build and change in the pipe so i believe the slits don't need to vary too much i could be wrong im not an engineer but as the debris breaks down in the bog the pressures will change and work on the next least are or resistance.

Size of manifold pipe and how many branches depends on the size of the bog. You may only need one straight pipe if your bog is small.

My bog is about 14 feet by 6 feet and I branched out with two 10 foot long pipes. I used a wye fitting instead of a Tee to branch off. I figured there would be less resistance with a wye.

I used 2 inch pvc pipe and cut the slits with a sawzall (reciprocating saw). My slits are 1/3 through the pipes and 1-1/2 inches apart. If I had to do it again, I'd use something with a little thicker blade.

A Y fitting sounds sensible. Your suggestion of the size of the slits is greatly appreciated. Thanks again, Brian M.

 

[JamieB]

I have a planter box bog for my 100 gallon guppy indoor pond. I used several sheet of plastic liner, and lots of improvised fixes to get it set up right for my pond. I don’t know how to add a link to my indoor pond thread, but I believe it is in the diy area. I used a box that is probably too shallow, but it’s working. In it, I have pothos, an elephant ear in soil in a plastic planter that wicks up water, and various other plants I can’t think of just now, and I just added a baby java fern to see if that will grow well. My water is good, still clear, with 100+ well fed guppies, and a few submerged plants. This has been going strong around a month now, and I need to pull my pre filter for a good cleaning tonight. I used a pump that I think moves 115 gallons per hour, with 1/2 the flow just freely circulated and half feeding the bog. The “ pipe” I used was a length of garden hose, with slits cut in it until the water would flow well. My cats think this is their dog free, fish flavored water source, so I also need to top it off!

 

[Brian Montague]

I have a planter box bog for my 100 gallon guppy indoor pond. I used several sheet of plastic liner, and lots of improvised fixes to get it set up right for my pond. I don’t know how to add a link to my indoor pond thread, but I believe it is in the diy area. I used a box that is probably too shallow, but it’s working. In it, I have pothos, an elephant ear in soil in a plastic planter that wicks up water, and various other plants I can’t think of just now, and I just added a baby java fern to see if that will grow well. My water is good, still clear, with 100+ well fed guppies, and a few submerged plants. This has been going strong around a month now, and I need to pull my pre filter for a good cleaning tonight. I used a pump that I think moves 115 gallons per hour, with 1/2 the flow just freely circulated and half feeding the bog. The “ pipe” I used was a length of garden hose, with slits cut in it until the water would flow well. My cats think this is their dog free, fish flavored water source, so I also need to top it off!

Hi Jamie, Many thanks for your description of your bog filter set up. I notice that your pond is around the same size as mine so I wondered if you could give me the dimensions. (I'll check the DIY thread to see if it's there). As my pond is too small for my four giant goldfish, my bog filter would need to be bigger but it would be handy to have a rough idea of the size I'll need. My pond being outside has the disadvantage of temperatures too low to suit Pothos (though I have some growing in small pond baskets at the moment) so I'll need to make sure that my plants are hardy. London doesn't get that cold but from time to time we do have frosts and freezing weather. Many thanks for your advice. Brian M.

 

[JamieB]

Bogs are preferable at 30% of the surface area of the pond, which could be done by T-ing off the pipe and having multiple bog boxes, or larger ones. Any water proof container that is fish safe could be modified to be a bog, in my case I made a wooden planter box usable by lining it with plastic.i created a “fall lip” by cutting out a low spot, then attached a lip of plastic I made out of a plastic jug, and then because my husband said it was too loud, attached nylon string where the water was falling so the water would cling to that and be more silent. I’ll admit, this is an “army engineering special” where I made what I needed with what I had on hand. The only things I bought were a new liner as my other one developed a leak, a single sheet of plywood to prevent cats from clawing the liner, paint, stain, and plants and gravel. It’s not the prettiest thing, but it gets the job done.

 

[JamieB]

My pond is 2 ft by 3 ft, if I recall correctly, so 30% of 6 ft is roughly 2 ft, I really do need a wider bog box, but it’s what I had on hand, and despite being about half as wide as I need, it’s doing the job. I plan to work on that tonight, or tomorrow, depending on how my headache goes. I’ve got this and the next night off from work, so I try to do fishy maintenance on these days. But I’ve also got a list of things I want/ need to get done, such as cleaning and rearranging my cupboards.

 

[JamieB]

I looked up my thread, “very basic indoor pond” under pond construction and equipment.

 

[Brian Montague]

My pond is 2 ft by 3 ft, if I recall correctly, so 30% of 6 ft is roughly 2 ft, I really do need a wider bog box, but it’s what I had on hand, and despite being about half as wide as I need, it’s doing the job. I plan to work on that tonight, or tomorrow, depending on how my headache goes. I’ve got this and the next night off from work, so I try to do fishy maintenance on these days. But I’ve also got a list of things I want/ need to get done, such as cleaning and rearranging my cupboards.

Many thanks Jamie. Brian M

 

[Brian Montague]

Many thanks for all the advice but there is a question that I need help with. I've read that the water that goes from the pond into the bog filter should not go through another filter first as this will mean that the water reaching the bog plants will be denuded of nutrients. Here is my query - as my 400 litre pond is overcrowded and I have to do such big water changes every week, it occurred to that it would make sense to leave the original filter pump in the pond and as it has a handy tap / diverter which I could use to pump the water into the "back end " of my bog filter. The water in the pond gets up to around 20 part per million Nitrate wise in one week - so why not run this water through the bog filter instead of doing a water change. So water enters the bog filter at 20ppm feeds the plants and comes out nitrate free. The fish continue to eat poo and piss and this nitrated water will in turn be pumped into the bog filter. My current filter doesn't remove nitrates anyway so why not leave it in place to catch the debris, provide a habitat for the beneficial bacteria who live in the ceramic media and turn the ammonia into nitrites and then nitrates i.e plant food. Does this make sense? Please advise. Thanks again, Brian Montague.

 

[Mmathis]

Many of us use diverter valves coming off our pumps.